shade

(noun) relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body. Synonyms: shadiness, shadowiness. Examples: "It is much cooler in the shade." "There's too much shadiness to take good photographs."

(noun) a quality of a given color that differs slightly from another color. Synonyms: tint, tincture, tone. Examples: "After several trials he mixed the shade of pink that she wanted."

(noun) protective covering that protects something from direct sunlight. Examples: "They used umbrellas as shades." "As the sun moved he readjusted the shade."

(noun) a subtle difference in meaning or opinion or attitude. Synonyms: nuance, nicety, subtlety, refinement. Examples: "Without understanding the finer nuances you can't enjoy the humor." "Don't argue about shades of meaning."

(noun) a position of relative inferiority. Examples: "An achievement that puts everything else in the shade." "His brother's success left him in the shade."

(noun) a slight amount or degree of difference. Synonyms: tad. Examples: "A tad too expensive." "Not a tad of difference." "The new model is a shade better than the old one."

(noun) a mental representation of some haunting experience. Synonyms: ghost, spook, wraith, specter, spectre. Examples: "He looked like he had seen a ghost." "It aroused specters from his past."

(noun) a representation of the effect of shadows in a picture or drawing (as by shading or darker pigment).

(verb) cast a shadow over. Synonyms: shadow, shade off.

(verb) represent the effect of shade or shadow on. Synonyms: fill in.

(verb) protect from light, heat, or view. Examples: "Shade your eyes when you step out into the bright sunlight."

(verb) vary slightly. Examples: "Shade the meaning."

(verb) pass from one quality such as color to another by a slight degree. Examples: "The butterfly wings shade to yellow."